Remembrance Sunday

Remembrance Sunday is coming

When we were in Cotton End, Remembrance Sunday involved meeting the members of the British Legion outside by the memorial that was in our grounds. We read the names, paid our respects, heard the bugle and stood in silence.

I can't remember how many names are on that memorial, even though I read them every year for seven years. For what would have been a very small village at the name it seemed like a lot.

Now we're in Upminster and I wandered up to the memorial in the town yesterday to have a look. I'd been searching the internet to see what I could find, but there was very little information. I don't know how big Upminster was during either conflict, but the list of names runs to 207. 66 from the first war and 141 from the second.

My view of war will not change, but just because I will always argue against armed solutions does not mean that I do not have the utmost respect for everyone named on this memorial and all the memorials up and down the country.

Memories of sad times in stadia

I do not wish to offend, but in recent days there has been much in the news about the anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster where 96 Liverpool fans died. It was a disaster and with hindsight there are many lesson that were learnt and need continually to be learnt by each generation. 

At the time football was plagued by violence on and off the terraces. I remember the "no go" areas in my home town on match-days. The contribution that violence made to the way football crowds were policed and perceived by many, cannot and should not be underestimated.

It's great to see the fences down and families in the crowds again. I'm not a great fan of football, but those fences from the late 70's and early 80's were never a pretty sight and a terrible indictment of how far a small proportion of society had fallen.

And lest we forget, Hillsborough is not the only tragedy involving supporters at a ground. In 1985, 56 people died and 256 were injured when fire broke out at Bradford City. That same year 39 died and 600 were injured at Heysel and in 1971, 65 people lost their lives when a barrier collapsed at Ibrox.